


Lost Girls

by Opheliablue



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode s10e09
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 21:34:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2747906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opheliablue/pseuds/Opheliablue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After saving Claire and watching Dean start slipping, Castiel decides to leave her with someone he can trust, someone to protect her, someone who actually knows how to deal with teenage girls- Jody Mills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Girls

“I’m not abandoning you, Claire. I want you to know that.”

Claire fought the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, Castiel looked so pathetic with those big blue eyes. He wore them differently than her father had- a more hesitant kindness in them, he cared but he didn’t love her like Jimmy Novak had. 

“I know you’re not.”

“I’m going to visit when I can, it’s just…”

Castiel still wouldn’t stop staring at her. This pleading look really has to stop. Besides they both knew the real reason he was leaving her.

“Yeah, you got to go take care of your boyfriend or whatever.” The joke fell flat, it was hard to put any emotion in it when the scene was still burned into her eyes. The blood painting the floor, pooling under¬– and wow is that not a place she wants to go to. Her leg was still echoing with the force she had kicked that guy with, her heart started pounding again, and then Castiel pulling her away. Castiel, who was currently looking at her with thinned lips and a bit of a blush. Gross. 

“Dean is not-“

“Sure he’s not, so let’s get this over with.”

Claire felt she should be used to being abandoned by now. And then she rolled her eyes at herself, because come on Claire, get over it. There was no way Castiel would abandon her, as much as she still resented the guy. It was knowledge that burrowed deep within her and felt warm and she’d say cuddly if that wasn’t so lame. 

“So this Jody chick-“

“Please don’t call her a chick-“

“She knows about…everything?”

Castiel’s hand gripped on her duffle bag and they looked toward the house across the street. A few lights were on, it was late but this Jody said she would wait up. How nice of her. You should be grateful for what you’re being given, Claire thought. The voices of her parents and Randy both playing in her head. Thankfully, Castiel sounded nothing like her father, “She does. From what I understand, Jody has a lot of experience with the supernatural and also, other things that may help you.” 

Other things, like the Randy thing, the losing her family thing, yeah, Claire had heard about Jody Mills and the girl that was now living with her. What a cheery bunch they’ll be. 

Claire moved to the door before Castiel could say anything else. Like an apology, or a good bye. She was kinda surprised he didn’t toss her duffle at her and disappear in a flash of light. But that was the old angel, not this doof who was following her close like he didn’t want to leave. And he didn’t, whispered through her mind, he doesn’t but it’s not safe for you where he’s going.  
~~  
Jody was…not what she was expecting. An old woman maybe, but not someone her mother’s age, someone who only looked old with what she experienced through her short years. She had short dark hair that Claire always wished she could pull off, but always looked in the mirror and had to face the fact that her face wasn’t shaped that way. Dustin said she’d look to much like a boy anyway, and long hair could help her get out of a lot more trouble if she bothered with trying to look pretty. Though she punched him when he said that because if she were anything, it was beautiful. 

They had sat together for a few minutes, the woman in the flannel placing a plate of chicken and rice in front of her that she barely touched, talking about the Winchesters and what had happened. Jody’s soft smile she had originally given Claire moved into a deep frown. No one had any idea what to do, whether to continue treatments or if there was a spell. The elephant in the room that neither addressed, if the only way out was killing him. But this wasn’t Claire’s problem. Castiel’s not boyfriend was his problem, and all that she cared about was him not dying. Not adding to that pile of bodies.

And then they ran out of things to talk about, even if it was the first time they met, both had other things on their mind. A shared thought was sitting there poking at her food. Claire ignored the small goodbyes they gave each other, the well wishing and “tell the boys I say hi”, “keep me updated”, “actually call me if…”.

Castiel pulled on his trench coat, “Sam said that they’re on the lookout for a girl, Kate, that they may send your way or towards Garth.”

Jody let out a long, exaggerated sigh. She probably loved collecting all of these wayward souls, the girl who Claire could hear moving around upstairs and then Claire herself. Lost girls, all of them. 

“I told him that I’d take her when they first ran into her, but they were so thick headed and forgot. Garth might be better for her, with the whole werewolf thing.”

Claire picked her head up off her hand. Werewolves? Well, Claire, she thought, there are angels and demons, why the fuck does this surprise you. She could almost here Randy’s voice saying that. 

“Yes, but her personality might fit better here.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” And oh shit, this Jody did not take any shit. Castiel recovered himself after a second of reproach, “Not that you are all not as nice as Garth, you are very nice girls-women- and so is Kate, Kate is very nice-“

“Okay Cas, you can stop. I could guess what you mean anyway.”

“I am very sorry for insulting you, Jody.”

Jody just laughed and clapped his back and then they were looking at Claire, who felt frozen in place. She should say something; get up, a handshake, a hug, or something.

“Goodbye, Castiel. Thanks, for you know, breaking me out, not smiting me or whatever.”

Castiel looked equally as awkward if not more. He shuffled around, waiting for her to get up and hug him, or just embarrassed that smiting had been in the realm of possibility. Still driven by the guilt of what happened. 

“Yes, and, I will, uh, call you tomorrow or the day after. Whichever you would prefer. And I will stop by once we handle the…situation.”

Jody watched the whole scene with raised eyebrows, completely amused with their behavior. A single look from her, however, made Claire stand up and walk over to Castiel. He pulled her into a hug when she was close enough, and her eyes felt hot. Probably allergic to this stupid coat. Stupid coat.

“Good luck with your boyfriend or whatever.”

Finally, Jody broke out laughing, no longer content to stay silent and watch the awkward kind of family goodbye. Castiel didn’t even deny it, just tightened the hug and mumbled into the top of her head, “Thank you, Claire. Be safe.” 

She could feel him smiling into her hair, and the warm feeling burrowed in her chest expanded. 

And then he was gone.  
~~  
Claire picked at her food a little more, aware of Jody moving around the kitchen but not wanting to stare at her. She had gotten better at watching people without actually watching them. People’s presence always resonated within her, and that may have been due to the whole angel possession thing. Which was on her list of “things Claire doesn’t think about except when she’s drunk”. 

Jody finally settled against a kitchen counter and watched her not eat.

“Do you want me to get you something else, or are you just not hungry?”

She fought back a shrug, Claire decided that if she was going to be staying here, even just for a night, she should try not causing trouble. Castiel was no longer here, so there wasn’t any real tie to keep her down.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled.

“Well okay then, I’m just gonna call Annie down here and you can meet her and then we’ll get you settled.”

Claire wasn’t feeling up to any more introductions. The tiny bud that warmed her whenever Castiel was around had left her cold and tired the second he left. She just wanted to “settle”, to get in a real bed that she didn’t have to worry about losing. But she was here and she was going to be polite. For now.

Jody called up the stairs and the footsteps above her stopped pacing. Well, time to meet the mini-Jody. She wondered if she would be in flannel as well. 

“She probably just woke up when you guys got here. Girl sleeps some weird hours.”

A pounding came down the steps, and Claire felt the girl before she came into the room. Completely opposite of Jody’s pull, she was frigid. And wow was she pretty. She wore a blue nightgown and her black hair fell down her back in waves. Messy, like she had just woken up, but still wow. Dustin was right, if she looked like that, people would do whatever she said.

“The weirdo gone.”

“Annie-“

“What, who wears a trench coat these days.”

Ok, never mind. This bitch was not pretty; the first feel of cold that came down with her was more accurate. The girl next to Claire at the head of the table and threw her feet on the table. Really, does she have to take up so much space. 

“Who is this,” she asked Jody.

Jody sighed, a real one this time, “Claire Novak, I told you about her earlier. She’s staying with us for a while.”

Annie snorted, “Another stray, Jodio?”

Annie pulled Claire’s plate away from her, picking up the chicken with her hand. Claire tried not to glare at her- the one thing she had received from Castiel was the smiting level glare.

“That was mine.

“Not like you were eating it,” Annie said, her blue eyes examining the piece of chicken. 

“It was still mine.”

The cold blue eyes moved over to her, like she was a bug that crawled over her shoe. 

“You might want to be careful, I was a vampire for a while. Maybe I’ll just eat you instead.”

Was this chick really trying to intimidate her? After all she went through. Fuck this whole being polite thing, if this girl thought she could talk to her like that. Claire could hear the growl from Jody, but before she could say anything, said, “Good for you, twilight, I was an angel but you don’t see me bragging.”

Annie finally looked at her with interest, “Oh really, how’d you get out of that?”

“My father saved me.”

It was a point of pride, a thought she clung to while sitting in the isolated white room and living only with herself. Jimmy Novak loved her enough to give everything for her. Annie frowned at her, her gaze sliding back over to Jody. Claire felt anger bubbling up in her; only to be knocked down with a thought of where feisty got her last time. She still couldn’t believe how cold the girl got, not even hostile just like she was better or something.

“Really, Jody?”

Jody pushed herself off from the counter, “Is there a problem?”

“No, its cool, so now we have mommy issues,” Annie pointed to herself, “daddy issues,” she waved towards Claire, not even bothering to look at her, “and Mama Mills with, what would it be, child issues? Dead kid issues-“

“Annie,” Jody warned. 

“And then there’s Donna,” Annie smirked to herself, “who is a bit clingy, needy, with her issues,” she finished, adding air quotations to the last word.

“Go to your room young lady,” Claire startled at Jody’s voice. Her own mother used that same tone with her once, but she was more cold and distant with her from what she could remember. Not that that was much, which the counselor at the group home told her she was just “repressing to cope” with the abandonment. Every moment away from that was becoming the best moment of her life. 

Claire watched Annie scoff and shove herself out of her chair, barely glancing at Claire. Like she was so special. The whole exchange took about five minutes, but she couldn’t see herself living with this Annie. Claire could imagine her fist slamming against the girl’s face, a familiar image that played in her mind, though it used to be Castiel’s face. She didn’t really feel like punching him anymore, but give it a week here and she’d probably swing back into that daydream.

When a door upstairs slammed shut, Jody deflated. Shaking her head, she looked over a Claire, “That went about as well as I expected. Annie isn’t completely ready to share yet.”

Claire raised an eyebrow, something that always got Randy angry and made him lose his train of thought to tell her how disrespectful she was. But fuck him, you don’t sell family to other people.

“Annie’s had a hard life.”

“Its not like she’s the only one.” Why was she feeling so defensive all of a sudden? It wasn’t like her life was that hard. She had people looking out for her, she had… well she didn’t have them anymore. Bastards. 

Jody rubbed a hand over her face, “Yeah, you’re right.”

They sat in silence for a while, Jody cleaning the kitchen and Claire bringing over her plate. She stood by the hallway uncomfortably while Jody finished and turned off the lights.

Claire watched Jody move into the hallway and pick up her duffle. She shuffled after her, exhaustion breaking over her and tears starting to prickle at her eyes. She wouldn’t cry here, not in front of someone she didn’t even know. It was just that she was tired, tired of fucking seeing blood everywhere and the guy’s hand gripping at her flannel and ripping it down her shoulder and- 

“This’ll be your room then. Tomorrow we’ll get you some more clothes, Cas left some money with me, and then maybe next week get you signed up for school, alright? Claire?”

The room was a light blue, with little sailboats lining the edge. White carpet, which clearly hadn’t been touched in a while, attempted to suck her into its softness. A thought flitted through her head of the dead kid that Annie mentioned. 

Claire nodded and moved to the bed, collapsing in its drowning dark blue and red sheets. Castiel, Cas, left money for her. It was a chance to escape if she really needed to. 

“Are you okay, honey?”

“Fine. Night.” 

Jody hovered for a second and mumbled something, before shutting the door behind her. A steady bass pumped from the room next door and a faint smell of weed drifted about. Claire closed her eyes and thought of the warm arms encircling her, shielding her, and as she fell deeper into sleep, she could almost imagine they were her father’s.


End file.
